Card-table indicator



June 10, 1930. J w Moygms I 1,763,,4 76' CARD TABLE INDICATOR Filed Aug. 27, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l r June 10, 1930. J w o s 1,763,476

CARD TABLE INDICATOR Filed Aug. 2'7, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 jj g. 4 0- M M L? L J: 31mm Patented June 10, 1930 rh'rENroFFicE JOSEPH W HD3315, 015 'I EONKAWA, OKLAHOMA CARD-TABLE mnrca'ron Application filed au ust 27, 1929. Serial mi. sesame.

This invention relates to card tables and V particularly to-means associated with the card table whereby the events ofa ame,asfor instance, the events of a game auction bridge or contract brid e may be indicated, and the general object oi the invention is to provide ,a convenient indicating means which forms part of the table, whereby the dealer may be indicated fIOIIL time to. time, whereby the trump may be indicated, whereby the number of tricks contracted for may be indicated, and whereby it may be indicated whether or not the bid has been doubled or redoubled.

A further object is to provide a construc- 1a tion of such character that the indicator may be plainly seen by the several players at all times and whereby the indicator may be operated from one point on the table by a player designated for this purpose.

Still another object is to provide a construction of this character in'which the table is recessed, the recess being covered with a sheet of transparent material flush with the top of the table, the recess containing a plurality of very small electric lamps associated with indicia indicating the dealer, the trump, the number of tricks bid and the additional contract, the table being provided at one point with means operable by one of the players whereby these lamps may be energized to thereby indicate the events before mentioned. Other objects will appear in the course or the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accom panying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a topplan view of a card table constructed in accordance with my invention Figure 2 is a section on the line 22 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view of the wiring connections and switches;

, Figure 4 is a detailed sectional view through one of the switches;

Figure 5 is an inside face view of one of the switches;

Referring to these drawings, 10 designates the top of acard table of any approved character and of the usual size. The-middle portion of this card table is recessed at 11, this recess being rectangular or square in form and covered by a glass plate, designated 12, this glass plate being setdnto the wall of the recess so that the upper'face of the plate is flush with the face of the card table and thus forms no obstruction to the proper playing or handling of the cards.

Disposed outward of the wall of the recess 11 in spaced relation thereto is a rectangular wall 13. v

The space between this wall 13and the Wall of the recess is divided into aplurality of compartments by partitions 14. Each .011 these compartments contains an electric lamp designated 15. Preferably there is a central lamp compartment 16 formed at the center of the recess 11 within which a lamp 15 is disposed. On one side of the recess 11 there is only one lamp compartment formed, while on the other side of the table, there are a plurality of compartments formed, as 'for instance seven in number. At another side of the recess 11, there are compartments formed for five lamps and opposite these, there are compartments formed for four lamps. I have merely stated this arrangement as being 75 that shownv in the drawing, but do not wish to be limited thereto, as other arrangements of compartments may be made as will appear more clearly hereinafter.

Associated with the compartments 17, 18, 19 and 20 are letters such for instance as N, S, E and W, indicating whether the dealer sits at the north, south, east or west side of the table. It is designed that the lamp in the proper compartment to indicate the dealer shall be energized at-the. proper time, this lam remaining energized until the next lamp 0 this series has been energized. This lamp will indicate, as before remarked, whose deal it is.

The compartments designated in the drawing21 are four in number and associated with each of these compartments is a suit indicator, as for instance, the conventional pips for clubs, diamonds, hearts and spades. When the appropriate lamp opposite one of these pip indications is energized, it will indicate that clubs, diamonds, hearts or spades is the trump.

On the opposite side of the table, in the arrangement illustrated in the drawing, 10

there is a com artment22 havin thereinthe lamp 15 and aving associated t erewit h an indication for no trum such as the letters T., or theletter V When. thelamp in this co partment 1s,en er= -gized, it indicates that no. trump is being 1a ed. The number of tricks WlllCh the ec arant'bids is indicated bythe lamps in the compartments 23, There are six of these 6 compartments 23 and associated with these compartments are the numerals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. The central compartment 16 has associated therewith the numeral 7 ,thus indicatin the highest possible bid. If three is I v bid, t e lain' pfogposite the numeral 3 is to be energized; ve is bid, the lamp opposite the numeral 5 is to be ener ized. Thus it will i be seen that I- have provi ed means whereby the dealer maybe indicated, the trump may 26 be indicated, and the amount of the bid may table or ad acentone of the players. For this purpose, I have shown the switch actuating knobs 25, 26,.27-and 28. Each of these knobs-has a pointer. or index mark associated therewith. These knobs are set into the table and preferably, though not necessarily, each knob will have appropriate designations or indices extendin circumferentialy around the knob must Beturned in order t6 energize the proper lamp. These indications correspond to the indications opposite the several lamps 15 set into the recess 11. Electrical connections are made between these switches,and .the lamps and with a source of current. These connections may be of any suitable character. J Thus, for instance, the knob will have its metallic spindle 29 connected in circuit with a source of current and will carry a switch arm 30 moving over four segments 31. Each segment will be connected to one .of the lamps N. S. E. or W, that is, the lamps associated with these letters. When the knob 25 is thus turned. with its arm 30 restin upon one of these contacts, the lamp associated with the letter W will be energized, this lamp being 1 connected b return wire to the source of no current. en the arm is turned to another of the segments, the lamp associated with the letter N. will be energized and so on; thus the positionof the dealer ma be indicated.

Theknob 26 has a like switc arm 30 'movable over four contact segments 31 which are meaning without lamps are intended to'be energized from switches dis os ed adjacentfone corner of thethe knob and indicating the points to which connected in an obvious manner in an electri': cal circuit with the lamps in the compartments 21 so that as the switch arm is moved successively over the several segments, lamps in the compartments 2l indicating the dif-" fgrent trumps will be success1vely energized associated with the letter D designating double or the letters R. D. designating that the bid has been redoubled.

I do not wish to be limited to theparticular electrical connections whereb these lamps are energized as obviously tiese might bevaried without departing from the spirit of the invention. Neither do I wish to be limited to the particular ,form of switches used, nor

to the use of indicia disposed concentric to the switches and indicating the position of the switch arm, though this is convenient; 4

Obviously. slight modifications might be made in the make-up of this table without de- 1 parting from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings I have illustrated the indi-' cations for the trumps and for double and redouble and the number of tricks bid as-being disposed upon the panes of glass covering the different compartments and immediately over the lamps but it will be understood that this is merely illustrative and that-the indications may be disposed exteriorly' of the, compartments or interiorly of the compartments in the recesses 11 or in any othr position desired. a

I claim 1. A card table having a recess in its face, a glass transparent cover for the recess a plurality of serles of electric lamps disposed in the recess, the lamps of one series indicating who should deal, the lamps of another, series indicating the several trump suits, the lamps of another series indicating the amount bid, the lamps of another series indicating additional contracts, indicia associated with each of the several lamps and indicating the event to which the lamp relates and inde endent controlling means for each series 0 lamps shiftable to energize or deenergize any particular lamp of the series, said controlling means bein manually actuatable and being carried by the table but disposed remote from said recess.

2. A card table having a recess in its face i and divided into compartments, transparent cover for the recess, an electric lamp in each of said compartments, the lamps being arranged in a plurality of series, one series indicating the dealer, the lamps of another series indicating trump suits,the lamps of another series indicating the amount bid, and

the lamps of another series indicating additional contracts each of said lamps having appropriate indicia associated therewith to indicate the event to which that lamp relates, and independent controlling means for each of said series of lamps and adapted when shifted to energize or de-energize any particular lamp of the series, said controlling means being carried by the table and being disposed remote from the said recess. 7

3. A card table having a recess in the face thereof, a glass pane covering said recess and flush with the top of the table, said recess being divided into a plurality of lamp compartments arranged in series, electric lamps disposed in the compartments of the several series, the lamps of one series being arranged on the four sides of the table to indicate the dealer and being associated with correspond- 5 ing indicia, another series of lamps includingfive lamps associated with indicia indicating the four trumps and no trumps and arranged along certain of the sides of the recess, another series of lamps being disposed along another side of said recess and in the middle of said recess and bein associated with numbers indicating the num er of tricks contracted to be taken by the dcclarant, and a another series of lamps indicating additional :15 contracts and disposed along one side of the recess, and controlling means for the lamps remote from said recess, said controlling means carrying switches whereby the circuit from a source of energy through any one of 40 said lamps maybe opened or closed.

' In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature. J QSEPH W. MORRIS. 

